


More Than A Conversation

by RonRos47



Category: The Fosters (TV 2013)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-17
Updated: 2019-05-17
Packaged: 2020-03-07 02:46:13
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,063
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18864148
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RonRos47/pseuds/RonRos47
Summary: Can a single conversation change a lifetime?  That's what Brandon and Callie are about to find out.





	More Than A Conversation

**Author's Note:**

> Enjoy!

“You know, I just realized,” said Marina, “your first love’s getting married this week. Is that weird at all?”

Callie looked down trying to think of the best answer to give. “Well,” she said, “I’ve loved Brandon as my brother a lot longer than I’ve loved him more than that.”  
Mariana didn’t buy it and Callie knew it. She looked up at her sister and admitted, “I guess yeah, maybe a little.”

Mariana simply looked at her sister not with judgement but as someone who felt Callie needed as a friend. What they didn’t know, what they couldn’t have known was that Eliza was in the restroom getting ready for bed when she overhead them talking. Eliza stood too stunned to move for fear that any noise could be heard from her. She wasn’t the only one either. Brandon had his back against the door from the outside hoping to say goodnight to Callie and Mariana but he decided against it now.

*****

The next morning as Callie was talking to her moms over a cup of coffee, Brandon came up to them. He wanted to confront Callie last night even though it probably wasn’t his place but he had to know, had to talk to her regardless of how weird it may be. 

“Morning, B,” said Steff, “I was just about to make breakfast. Pancakes and bacon sound good?”

Brandon ignored his mom and focused only on Callie.

“Can we talk?” he asked.

“Um, sure,” Callie replied.

“Privately.”

Callie looked at her moms before looking at Brandon. They watched as Brandon placed a hand as he led her outside to the garage. The moms looked at each other with a fear of concern.

“What’s going on,” Callie asked when Brandon closed the door.

“You tell me. Do you just not want me to be happy or is it something else because I’m very confused.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“You and Mariana. I heard you two talking last night.”

This time it was Callie who got on the defensive. “That was a private conversation.”

“It’s a big house, Cal, anyone could hear.”

Callie knew he was right but she wasn’t really ready to give in. “And it just happened to be you? How do I know you weren’t eavesdropping on purpose?”

*****

Back in the house Stef couldn’t stop looking out the window wondering what was going on. Unfortunately there was nothing she nor Lena could do about it, not anymore. They were grown adults so whatever was going on they had to figure it out themselves. 

“Morning,” Eliza said to her soon to be mother-in-law’s. “Have either of you seen Brandon, I can’t seem to find him anywhere.” Then as quickly as she asked she knew the answer having heard a conversation she wished she hadn’t. “He’s with Callie isn’t he?”

“What makes you think that?” Lena asked casually.

“They’re best friends right, I mean if Callie is not with Mariana then she’s with Brandon sometimes. Can I ask you something?”

“Sure,” said Lena.

“Anything,” Stef replied.

“Should I be worried about Callie, about the two of them? I’m sensing there’s something Brandon’s not telling me.”

What could Stef and Lena say? They could tell the girl the truth but it would only get back to Brandon somehow. It wasn’t really their place to tell so all Stef and Lena could do was look at each other.

“They are together aren’t they,” Eliza said as she tried to fight back tears.

*****

Back in the garage, Brandon and Callie continued their argument. 

“That was a conversation between me and Mariana. It’s not my problem that you overheard it.”

“But it is my problem at least now it is.”

“No it’s not. You could just let it go, go be with your fiancé who you’re going to marry. Instead you’re here talking to me so what does that tell you, Brandon?”

“We were bound to talk about this anyways.”

“About what?”

“About us!”

“There is no ‘us’. Let’s face it Brandon, we were never going to talk about this. You made pretty damn sure about that when you decided to propose to her.”

“What do you want from me, Callie?”

“It doesn’t matter what I want.”

“Really because it sure seemed like it last night.”

“You’re seriously coming back to that?”

“Well that’s what it keeps coming down to.”

“Mariana and I were just talking, that’s all.”

“It didn’t sound that way. I saw you, Callie,” Brandon admitted, “I saw they way you looked at me, at Eliza when we told you, told everyone, we were engaged.”

“It caught me off guard, that’s all.”

“We both know that’s not true. It’s more isn’t it?”

“What does it matter now it doesn’t. We’re done right? You clearly made sure of that.”

“No Callie, you did.”

Callie wanted to walk away. To leave it like that but Brandon was right, she had been the one to end it the second she chose to get adopted. She’d chosen the family over him and yet everyday she’d wondered if that had been the right choice to make. She could not deny that Brandon getting married hurt, of course it did, but there was nothing she could do about it.

It didn’t matter what she wanted. He had chosen Eliza. That was the end of the story, their story, it was over. Yes Brandon had been her first love but that’s all he was. What she’d told Mariana was true, sometimes you didn’t get your first love and yet she still found herself standing there, standing in front of him.  
Brandon couldn’t bring himself to move. He wanted to, he had to. Eliza was probably inside looking for him, waiting for him and yet he stayed. It had been an accident that he’d overheard Callie and Mariana talking but since he had it changed everything for him. 

Callie was right, he had been the one to end it the second he proposed to Eliza. Did he love her, sure. Was he in love with her? That was the difference. He knew Eliza was in love with him yet he couldn’t say the same about her. Why was that? He didn’t need to ask the question as he already knew the answer.  
Rather than pull away they closed the gap between them crashing into each other as two souls collided. It felt as though time had not passed sine their last encounter back at Idyllwild. Normal, freeing, easy, kismet as it had been from the beginning.

“We can’t keep doing this,” Callie said when they pulled apart.

“But we do,” said Brandon, “we keep doing this because deep down it’s what we both want.”

“Well it’s got to stop. Just let the conversation between me and Mariana go. You have a fiancé, Brandon, go be with her.”

Callie didn’t let Brandon get in a word as she left the garage. Yes, Brandon thought, he had a fiancé but now what? He couldn’t just forget the deep kiss he and Callie shared just moments ago. He couldn’t get it go and yet that’s exactly what he had to do. It was the only way it could end.

 

*****

“So are you gonna tell her,” Mariana said later that evening.

Brandon quickly shut his dresser drawer. “Jesus, Mariana knock much?”

“Well are you and by her I meant Callie.”

“I know who you meant and no I’m not going to tell her and neither are you. I mean it Mariana if you say one word of this to her-,” 

“Hey, ease up. The only reason I’m asking is because you’re still holding onto it.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about?”

“Oh really, is that why you quickly closed your drawer? What’d you think if it was Callie who caught you or were you afraid Eliza might catch you and flip out on you which you know she would.”

“Mariana, stay out of it.”

“Well I can’t exactly do that can I? I was with you bought that ring Brandon, the one that was for Callie and I’m guessing still is since you haven’t returned it.”  
Brandon froze. She was right. If the ring had not meant anything he wouldn’t have kept it. Simple as that but it wasn’t simple and they both knew it. There was no sense in getting caught since Mariana had been there when he’d gone ring shopping. He’d already picked one out and purchased it.

*****

“Excellent choice,” said the jeweler. “She must be one special girl.”

Brandon smiled at him, “Yeah, she is. I’ve been lucky. I can’t imagine my life without her.”

“I’m happy for you, son.”

Once the ring was paid for Brandon placed the small box in his pocket when his sister walked in.

“Oh good,” said Mariana. “You’re still here. I didn’t want you doing this part without me.”

“The fiancé,” asked the jeweler.

“Ugh god no,” said Mariana, “He’s my brother. So have you picked one out yet?”

“I um-,” 

“That was rhetorical. Of course you didn’t. You don’t exactly have good taste when it comes to this sort of thing.”

Brandon and the jeweler looked at each other. The man didn’t say a word, not wanting to get caught up in whatever kind of drama the kid found himself in just as long as he made a sale.

“Found it,” Mariana said calling Brandon over to look at the ring she pointed at. “This is definitely it and it’s within price range.”

“Yeah I was thinking something a bit simpler.”

“Okay fine. And what price range were you looking at anyways?”

Brandon gave her a number not wanting to go over considering the price he’d all ready put down on the ring in his pocket.

“Wow she must not be that great after all. Okay um, how about this one, it’s within range.”

“It’s great.”

“You haven’t even looked at it yet.”

“Mariana, it’s fine.”

“Okay a ring isn’t just fine. No girl wants to hear ‘oh that’s a fine ring’. They want to hear ‘oh it’s beautiful’ or the want to say ‘oh I love it’ not just fine.”  
Brandon took a closer look. “It’s great,” Brandon said, “We’ll take this one. Can we go now?”

“What is with you? It’s like you don’t even care. You are about to spend the rest of your life with her so what’s the big deal?”

Brandon and the jeweler looked at each other, the jeweler realizing that whoever this mystery fiancé was wasn’t the one he wanted to marry, not after having spent his time and making sure the previous ring had been perfect. The jeweler knew a happy man when he saw one and what he saw with this kid was confliction.

“Hey kid, good luck,” he said as Brandon and his sister left the store having paid for the second ring.

*****

“Look,” Mariana said to Brandon getting him out of his memory. “I know you overheard us talking last night and I bet right now it sucks to be you but I also told Callie I got her back no matter what and I meant it. You’re the one holding the strings here, Brandon, so stop being such a jerk and figure out what you want.”

Once Mariana was gone from his room, Brandon opened his dresser once more and pulled out the small box. He opened it and ran his fingers over Callie’s ring.

*****

The next two days were filled with much discomfort. The moment that he and Callie had their argument the two had kept their distance from each other. No one in the family could not help but notice the tension. Stef and Lena wanted to intervene but thought it was best that they not. They had after all done everything in their power to keep the two apart. Maybe now Brandon and Callie had come to realize that for themselves but it was Stef who started to have doubts.

Eliza too couldn’t help but notice the tension especially now that she knew the truth about Callie. She wanted to hate her but she couldn’t because that would mean having to hate Brandon too since he was equally responsible for whatever strange history the two had, history that extended to more than what she’d thought they were. Although, maybe she couldn’t fault him. Maybe it had been Callie’s fault, the one to instigate it in the first place, at least that’s what she tried to believe as a way of justifying what Brandon had done. Either way not knowing was killing her. Eliza devised a plan. She would confront Brandon at some point she just wasn’t sure as to how or when.

Come evening was the night of Brandon and Eliza’s engagement party which was held in the backyard. Despite the situation still being tense, Brandon couldn’t help staring at Callie as he talked to his brothers and dad. He knew it was wrong, he knew he should look away and yet his eyes gazed upon her anyways. He wanted to focus on Eliza, he should have been focusing on her, he was getting married to her so it only made sense but none of it made any sense. He wanted to apologize to Callie for everything he’d said but he couldn’t bring himself to move. Even if he did despite the tension everyone would notice and that would not be well for anyone so he remained standing, trying to engage in the conversation but it was lost on him as he continued to stare at her.

Meanwhile as Callie was talking with Mariana and Matt she could feel Brandon looking at her. They were a good length away from each other, Callie on the patio and Brandon at the end of the lawn. She wanted to be part of the conversation but she couldn’t. She glanced his way, their eyes meeting, the tension suddenly gone. Callie wanted to apologize for just about everything, well almost. She wasn’t about to sink down and apologize for a conversation that had happened between two sisters but everything else she was willing to concede to. Taking a step in his direction would only add fuel to the fire that all ready was. The last thing she wanted was to draw suspicion to herself and yet she felt drawn to Brandon anyways. Mariana tried to get her attention but Callie was too far gone in Brandon’s eyes.

Mariana looked over to whom her sister was staring at.

“Don’t,” Mariana whispered.

Callie looked down into her non-alcoholic drink and shook her head, “I wasn’t.”

“But you were thinking about it.”

Callie couldn’t deny that part. She had wanted to, she had wanted to put down her drink and go talk to Brandon but logic set in and she knew she couldn’t without all eyes falling toward her, watching her every move given how most everyone knew their history and so she wasn’t going to.

Already, however, it hadn’t gone unnoticed. Eliza was steaming inside as she was with her parents who were also with Stef and Lena. She could see the look in Brandon’s eyes as they gazed at one another. Brandon had never looked at her that way, not once. Eliza couldn’t take it. She excused herself from the parents and walked over to Brandon.

Brandon smiled, “Hey, I was just about to come to you.”

“Were you or were you going to go to someone else?”

“What are you talking about?” Brandon asked with confusion.

“Were you gonna tell me that you were in love with Callie?”

Everyone stopped what they were doing and turned to Brandon and Eliza. She hadn’t exactly been quite about it and she didn’t care if she had started a scene.  
This time Brandon and Callie couldn’t help but look at each other and everyone watched the two as they did. Brandon then focused on Eliza.

“Maybe we should take this elsewhere,” he said.

“No I’ve got to know, were you ever in love with Callie?”

Brandon wasn’t about to answer that question in public.

“Fine then I’ll ask you this: did you ever sleep with her?”

It was one thing for people to know about his history with Callie, it was completely another for them to hear that they had slept together, shocking even.  
Brandon was on the verge of fuming. “Excuse us for a moment,” he said as he took Eliza inside.

Callie watched as they left before turning away.

“Wait,” Mariana said, “you actually slept together?”

“Not now, Mariana,” said Callie, her voice close to breaking. 

“Are you okay,” she asked with genuine concern.

“Can you ask me that later?” 

“Sure.” Mariana gently rubbed her sister’s back as a way of comfort.

Once inside Brandon looked at his fiancé. “Are you out of your damn mind?” he asked angrily.

“I don’t know maybe. I mean honestly what do I know? I mean I know absolutely nothing about your past history. Just how many girls have there been, Brandon, besides me.”

“Why does it even matter?”

“Well I’m just starting to wonder. I mean after all you were Callie’s first love right so were you hers too?”

Brandon took a breath as he regained his composure. “You overheard them too hu?”

“Yeah, yeah I did. What am I supposed to do with that Brandon? I can’t just let it go.”

“Well try, just try.”

“Have you let it go, have you let her go? I mean I thought she was your sister.”

“It’s a lot more complicated than that.”

“Doesn’t seem that way. Do you love her and did you sleep with her?”

Before Brandon could answer Mariana opened the door and went inside. “Hey, what is going on?” she asked. “Everyone is freaking out back there. Callie is so humiliated that she went to the front of the house. She would have stormed up to her room but that’s clearly not an option right now with you two.”  
“Well at least something good is coming out of this,” said Eliza.

“Hey, what is your problem,” Mariana asked.

“She overheard you two talking a few nights ago,” said Brandon.

Mariana rolled her head and then looked at them both. “Oh you have got to be kidding. Jeeze, does everyone know? Look it was not big deal.”

“Really,” said Eliza, “then why am I so threatened by it?”

“Oh I don’t know,” said Mariana, “maybe because you’ve got issues.”

“Oh I’ve got issues? Talk to Brandon here because from what I can tell he did sleep with Callie since he hasn’t denied it and he’s clearly got feelings for another girl.” She spoke now directly at him, “If anyone has issues here it’s you. I mean come on Brandon, I’ve been asking you if you’re in love with her and you still haven’t denied that either.”

“What do you want from me,” Brandon asked as he raised his voice.

“I want you to tell me the truth,” Eliza said, her voice matching his. “Just be honest with me, can you even do that?”

Brandon looked at Mariana who shook her head as in ‘don’t go there’ kind of way and then he turned back to Eliza.

“Yes alright! Yes I still have feelings for her. Yes I’m always going to have feelings for her and yes I’m in love with her. Is that what you want to hear?”

“No,” Eliza said softly, “I was hoping to hear you say you loved me.”

Brandon sighed. Eliza had made this so hard for him and she had every right. He’d been lying to her this whole time. He had tried to move on and forget about Callie and when Eliza came along at the coffee shop it just seemed like the perfect opportunity and he jumped at it despite not knowing her all that well. It was a quick way. He figured once it was done and over with that would be the end of him and Callie but that’s all Eliza had been, a means to an end and it wasn’t fair to her.

Not only had he been lying to her but to everyone else. No one knew except for him and Mariana, what Callie had truly meant to him. Brandon thought back to when Mariana found out what he’d done earlier that day at the jewelry store.

*****

“Okay let’s see it,” Mariana said as she found Brandon in the kitchen.

Brandon reached into his right pocket and before Mariana opened the box she said, “No one that one you idiot, the other one.”

“What other one?”

“The one you bought for Callie.”

“I don’t know what you’re-,” 

“Come on I saw you through the window.”

“How do you know it wasn’t for Eliza?”

“Because had it been you would have told me about it and stopped me from helping you pick out the ring.”

“Why would you even think it’s for Callie anyways? I could have bought both just so she could decide which one she liked more.”

“Oh please, only an idiot does something like that. I know it’s for her. You really expect me to believe you don’t still have feelings for her? I mean seriously, Brandon.”

Brandon put Eliza’s ring away and reluctantly reached into his left pocket revealing a different colored jewelry box.

Mariana opened it. “Wow, I can see why you wanted something simple for Eliza. It’s nowhere near as gorgeous as this.” She closed the box and handed it back to him. “You must still really love her. You know you’d be dead if moms or anyone else found, right?”

“Then it’s a good thing no one’s going to find out.”

“He this is one thing I’m absolutely going to keep my mouth shut about but Brandon, what about Eliza?”

“I love Eliza.”

“Right, just like you loved Grace or Courtney or Lou. I know you say you loved them but let’s face it not in the way you love Callie. She’s different. If she wasn’t you wouldn’t have bought her that ring in the first place.”

*****

Taking him out of his thoughts Eliza took off the ring and handed it to Brandon.

“We’re through,” was all she said as she went to the yard to inform everyone that it was over. She wanted to leave as quickly as possible without any questions asked. Brandon simply looked down at the ring and then at Mariana who could only look back at him unable to find the right words to say.

*****

“You okay,” Ste asked when she found Callie on the porch swing.

Callie looked at her mom. She was surprised to see her of all people. “You’re seriously asking me that right now?” she asked as she wiped away her tears.

Stef took a seat beside her daughter. “Yeah, I am. Talk to me Cal, we’ve always been able to talk.”

“Not about this, not really and when we do there’s a lot of yelling.”

“No yelling this time, promise so talk to me. I thought this thing between you and Brandon was over.”

“It is. At least it was supposed to be.”

“Then what changed?” Callie shook her head not wanting to get into it with her mom. “I’m going to take a wild guess here. Was it when you found out Brandon got engaged?” Callie turned to her mom, surprised that she knew. “It doesn’t take a genius to figure that one out, Callie. It may still be a little hard to admit but you two have a history, one that is beyond for me and momma to understand. I’ve come to accept that now.”

Callie again shook her head but this time she focused her eyes on the floor. “Everything was going along fine. You know I’d moved on and so had he. I mean it’s been years since we’ve even been together.” Callie looed up at her mom. “And I’m happy for him, I really am but then there’s this part of me that-,”

“That still loves him,” Stef said for her easily.

“Yeah. I know mom, I know it’s probably wrong and it’s complicated. It’s so complicated. I just wish it didn’t have to be you know? I don’t regret anything that happened between us, I’ll never regret it but I do know how much it hurt you, how it hurt the family and for that I’m sorry. It was just so easy to love him and it still is. How am I supposed to reconcile that with him getting married now?”

“I don’t know what to tell you anymore, Callie. I could just tell you that you have to get it go. Let Brandon go and let him get married even though it will probably hurt the both of you. You two have to let each other go but at the same time momma and I did what we could to keep you two apart and it didn’t exactly work out. You are adults now so we can’t exactly stop you from doing anything anymore. Whatever does or does not happen at this point I want you to know one thing: you’re our daughter, Callie, and we love you very much. You’ll always have a home with us and that will never change even if everything else does. And I can’t believe I’m saying this but I genuinely mean it if what you and Brandon want is to be together that’s fine. We just want you to be happy.”

“You’re saying this despite him being engaged to Eliza?”

“Yeah well I think we both know at this point, heck even momma and everyone else know when it comes to the two of you nothing can get in your way not even your relationships. Come here,” she said as she opened her arms to hug her daughter.

*****

It had been a rough night for all of the Adams-Fosters. Jude and Jesus were left confused. Though they’d known about Brandon and Callie they’d managed to stay away from their drama. Jude was angry most of all. He’d disliked Callie the first time around after he’d caught them during Stef and Lena’s wedding. Like everyone else he’d hoped it was over with. He was wrong. Everyone was.

Stef and Lena stayed up quietly discussing the situation in bed.

Callie and Brandon had it worse. Mariana wanted to talk to Callie but she knew when to give her sister space and now was that time. She watched as her sister had her back towards her, facing the wall, crying no doubt before eventually falling asleep but only for a moment until she turned over and looked at the ceiling as she thought about Brandon her thoughts drifting to every disaster that had been these past few days and yet despite the disaster she could not stop thinking about the kiss or the way she and Brandon looked at each other during the night. She’d felt terrible for what conspired yet it only added fuel to her fire both from the outside because Eliza had started the flame and from the inside, the fire that burned for Brandon. She loved him. He was the one person she could rely on most. He was the one who understood her the most when no one else did. He was the love of her life and hard as she tried there was no denying that.  
Mariana still wanted to say something but remained silent, turning her back and going to sleep herself. 

Brandon slept in the other room, his arms crossed behind his pillow as he looked at the ceiling. He wondered about Callie. He hadn’t seen her since the evening. He thought about Eliza but not in a way that would merit him to go apologize or take back everything he’d said. No they were through and he was glad it was. It just made his choice that much easier. He knew marrying Eliza would have been the worst decision of his life. He would have just been settling and he wouldn’t have been happy. No the only person that made him truly happy, happy beyond measure was laying in the room across the hall. She was the one person who understood him the most and vice versa. She was his best friend, he trusted her, and he loved her.

*****

“Hey Callie,” Brandon said the next morning as she and Mariana were getting ready for the day, Callie just now putting on her shoes. “Sorry,” he said, “but can we talk?”

Mariana and Callie looked at each other, Mariana with a look of concern and slight distrust. Callie however nodded and followed Brandon into his room.

“What about mom’s,” she asked as he closed the door.

“I don’t think it matters anymore, do you?”

Callie thought back to her and her mom’s conversation last night. “I guess not.”

“So things have been pretty rocky between us these past few days,” Brandon began.

“Yeah, yeah they have.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Me too.”

“And I’m sorry about last night. Eliza was out of line.”

“Brandon, it’s fine,” she said brushing it off.

“No it’s not. I should have told her about us sooner.”

“Would it have made a difference?”

“I don’t know. Maybe she would have understood, made the choice to marry me a lot sooner before it was too late.”

“No Brandon, you two were happy. I wanted that for you, really.”

“I know. She did call it off last night by the way.”

“Because of me.”

“No it was because of me. I should never have proposed to her in the first place.”

“We were just trying to move on.”

“But we can’t can we? We keep coming back to this, to us.”

“There is no us, Brandon,” Callie said, raising her voice slightly.

“Sure there is, why can’t you just admit it? I’m admitting it now, there is an us. It’s always been there ever since we met. It’s me, Callie, you can admit it too because I know it’s there.”

“I can’t.”

“Why not?”

“Because if I do then it changes everything. Did it hurt me when you proposed to Eliza, sure it did. Was it weird that you were going to get married and say ‘I do’ to her this week, yeah it was, and you want to know the hardest part? The hardest part is that I love you and it kills me to let me you go.”

“Don’t you realize how hard this is for me too? Yeah I was going to get it married. Yeah I had it all mapped out so maybe I could move on too but this whole time, ever since the beginning you walked into this house there’s only one girl, one woman that I’ve wanted to be married to.”

Callie stood in shock. “What are you saying, Brandon?”

He went over to the dresser and pulled out the small box that he’d been saving, the box that gave him two choices with the first being he would use it now or the second option was that he would return it and do everything in his power to never look back. The answer was clear. He turned around and looked at Callie.

“Brandon-,” 

“Open it,” he said to her as he handed the box doing this slightly less than traditional.

Reluctantly Callie did so. Inside it she found an elegant yet simple ring with three diamonds surrounding the top of the rim.

“Oh my god.”

“Now I know I have a big mess to clean up but Callie what we have happens once in a lifetime.”

Callie smiled as Brandon had once used those words long ago.

“I want that lifetime to be with you.”

“You do realize what you’re saying right? We’d be risking everything.”

“Isn’t it a risk worth taking? Look I know it’s sudden and I know it’s too soon with everything going on. I just believe we can make this work. You’re my best friend and I believe we can make this work, I know we can. You’re more than my best friend Callie, you’re the love of my life too.”

Callie took a deep breath. “I believe in us too, Brandon so yes my answer is yes.”

Brandon took the ring and slipped it on Callie’s ring finger. It fit perfectly and it looked great on her, the way he’d always imagined. The two of them smiled and kissed intensely. A few nights ago it had been a kiss of goodbye but now it was the start of a future together.

“Can I come in now,” Mariana called from the outside.

The couple pulled apart, Brandon placing a light kiss on Callie’s head.

“Get in here, Mariana,” Brandon called out. “Seriously?”

“What you overheard our conversation, it was only fair I hear yours. Now we’re even. So please tell me you said yes.”

“What do you think,” Callie thought for a second, “wait you knew?”

“Of course I did. I was there when he bought it. Brandon would have been a fool not to. We all know he was never gonna marry Eliza. It was just a front from hiding his true feelings for you.”

Callie looked at Brandon with amusement. 

“Well it was a long shot,” said Brandon.

“Yeah one you risked by taking when you first bought the ring and then one you nearly risked not taking had you married Eliza, thank god you didn’t either. I never wanted her as a sister-in-law in the first place.”

“Yea well, I guess I needed something to light the fuse.”

Callie couldn’t help but laugh, “And Eliza making a scene definitely helped with that.”

Brandon took Callie’s hand. “I’m sorry about that. “I’m sorry it had to take my ex fiancé to make me realize what I’d nearly lost.”

“Hey, the same could be said for the both of us. I think we both were trying to hide behind relationships we didn’t want.”

“Yeah well guess that’s what really makes us outlaws.”

“Oh my god,” said Mariana , “that song was about Callie?”

Brandon looked into Callie’s eyes, “They all were.”

Callie couldn’t help but smile.

“You know I never realized it before,” said Mariana, “but you two really do make a cute couple.”

*****

After ten minutes of the three just talking Brandon and Callie made their way downstairs where they knew their moms would be waiting. Taking deep breaths they held hands and walked into the kitchen as they’d wanted to do once before.

Stef had her arms crossed while Lena had a hand placed on the counter top.

“So I guess congratulations are in order,” said Stef.

“Coming from you probably not.”

“Brandon,” said Callie.

“No,” said Brandon, “I’m not going to stand around this time while they lecture us about how wrong this is because that’s all you do is lecture. You tell us we need time and space and you worry any time we so much as look at each other.”

“Yeah because we thought it was over,” said Stef.

“And it was,” said Callie, “for a long time.”

“Then what happened?” asked Lena. 

Brandon sighed, “Eliza heard Mariana and Callie talking a few nights ago.”

“Wait,” said Callie, “she found out too, how?”

“I’m not sure. She didn’t tell me. I was going to tell you though.”

“Really, when?”

“Wait,” said Stef, “what conversation?”

Callie shook her head. There really was no point in keeping the conversation private anymore. It was out to Brandon and now to Eliza. They might as well have just broadcast it everywhere. What harm did it do telling moms now?

“It was just a private conversation between me and Mariana that’s all.”

“Well clearly one Brandon and Eliza knew about.”

“We had no idea they overheard us.”

“You don’t have to tell them, Callie. Like you said it was just you and Mariana talking. It was wrong of us to even listen. We should have walked away.”

Callie appreciated Brandon for saying that but she couldn’t really be upset over it. The conversation had brought the two of them back together so that had been a good thing.

“What’s the point, Brandon?” Callie turned to her mom’s. “Mariana um… she told me how weird it must have been for me to see Brandon getting married. I admitted to her that it was.”

“Why would you admit to that, Callie?” asked Lena.

“Because it’s true and because yeah since we’re being honest here Brandon was the first guy I ever loved. The first real guy.”

“Was?” said Brandon.

“You know what I mean. Look I wasn’t trying to be manipulative or destroy Brandon’s wedding. It was just me and Mariana talking that’s all. Sister’s talk. Is it so wrong that I would confide in her with something like this? I love Brandon enough that I want him to be happy even if that meant with someone else. I didn’t mean for things to escalate this far or any of it, it just kind of happened as a result.”

“So that’s why Eliza called you out,” said Stef, “because she found out about the two of you. God why did she have to bring up the sex thing though?”

“To humiliate us,” said Brandon. “She wanted to hurt not just me but really hurt Callie the way she believed she had been hurt.”

“Then why the ring, Brandon?” asked Lena. “It’s pretty clear now that you had this planned for a long time, what as a backup plan?”

“No, of course not, Callie was never my back up plan.

“So you always planned on Callie being the one,” said Stef, “since when?”

“Since Callie was at GU.”

“Oh that’s just great,” said Stef, “Any other surprises we should know about?”

“No that’s all.”

“Geeze,” Callie said as she placed her fingers on her forehead. “All of this over some stupid conversation.”

“Hey,” Brandon said softly, “hey look at me, Callie look at me.” Callie did so. “That stupid conversation brought us to this point and I’m glad it did. I wouldn’t have had it any other way?”

“Really?”

“Well I probably would have done things differently had I not been a stupid fool to let it get this far.”

“You know I never intended for any of this to happen.”

“I know,” he said placing a kid on the top of her head. “None of this is your fault, Callie. If anyone’s to blame it’s me. This was my mess from the beginning right when I got with Eliza. I never should have done that. I’m sorry. I bought you that ring for a reason, Callie, there’s never been anyone else, it’s always been you.”

“Okay,” said Lena, “that’s enough. Whatever this is mom and I would like to say a few things.”

“First off,” said Stef, “Callie, remember that conversation we had on the porch?”

“Yeah.”

“I meant it, every word. Momma and I discussed it last night and if this is something you both feel strongly about then we can’t exactly stand in your way, not anymore. So if this is what you two want then we’ll support it.”

“Really,” Brandon said sounding surprised.

“Really,” said Lena. “We just as for three things. First an open door policy. We don’t need anymore surprises with you two doing whatever it is you do. Second, no sex in this house please.”

“Not a problem,” said Brandon.

“And the third,” asked Callie.

“Please, please, please don’t get pregnant,” said Stef. “This is hard enough to handle as it is and especially not after last time.”

Brandon and Callie looked at each other and then back at their parents.

Callie was the one to ask, “What do you mean last time?”

Lena was the one to answer. “A few years ago back when the two of you went to Mexico we thought you’d gone to get an abortion because we found a pregnancy test in the trash.”

“And you thought it was mine?”

“Well can you blame us?” Stef asked.

“Well you don’t have to worry about that,” said Brandon.

“Yeah,” said Callie, “kids are the last thing on our minds right now.”

“We want to get our careers settled first.”

“If even then.”

“You don’t want kids,” Brandon asked.

“Why do you?”

“Well yeah. I always imagined having a big family.”

“Just how big?”

“I don’t know, five maybe. You know a couple of our own and then adopt.”

“Wow, five that’s um…that’s…”

Stef interjected, “Something to be discussed later. So promise no kids at least for now. Brandon, Callie, promise us.”

“We promise,” said Brandon.

“Yeah, absolutely,” said Callie.

“Okay,” said Lena, “if there’s nothing else then I guess we’re done here.”

Before Brandon and Callie left the room Callie said, “thank you,” to both of them.

Stef went over to hug Callie and Lena did the same with Brandon.

“We love you,” said Lena.

“Both of you,” Stef added.

Once the new couple was gone Lena looked at her wife. “Do you really think this is such a good idea?”

“Guess we’re about to find out,” Stef replied.

*****

“Is this really happening,” Callie asked Brandon a few hours later as they sat on a bench in the gazebo, their hands entwined.

“Yeah, yeah it is.”

“I’m glad.”

“Me too.”

“And this engagement is real too right?”

“It’s definitely real.”

Callie looked down at her ring. “Engaged. Never thought that would happen.”

“Really?”

“Well things kept finding a way to keep us apart and even if they hadn’t I still never imagined being engaged to someone else. I don’t know when it came to the two of us I just never thought we’d get our happy ending.”

“I did.”

“You did, even with Eliza in the picture?”

“We both know that was never going to work out. Life may have a way of pulling us away from each other but we keep coming back too. This time it’s for real, it’s forever.”

Callie smiled, “I love you, Brandon.”

“I love you too.”

After a final smile the couple leaned in and kissed softly. They would be together and they would be okay no matter what life handed them. While it had taken some time who knew that a single conversation could bring them back together? Then again a single conversation had the power to change everything.

**Author's Note:**

> It was a minor moment but I mentioned Callie drinking a non-alcoholic beverage. Personally I am not a drinker and it's hard to find characters on television or in movies that don't drink. When I thought about which Fosters character I would like to see who didn't drink, Callie was the one that kept coming to mind.
> 
> In my previous Brallie fics I have written Stef and Lena with hard cores who are set against Brandon and Callie being together. This time I wanted to try something new and make them soft and more accepting of the two of them together. Hope it worked.
> 
> Lastly, thanks for reading this.


End file.
